J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE WORKPLACE AMONG
CANADIAN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS – A
GENDER ANALYSIS
Fender, Jennifer1, Davidson, Valerie1*, Vassileva, Julita2, Ghazzali, Nadia3 and Croft,
4
Elizabeth
1
University of Guelph, Chair for Women in Science and Engineering – Ontario, School
of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
2
University of Saskatchewan, NSERC/Cameco Prairie Chair, Women in Science and
Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Department of Computer Science, 176
Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9
3
Laval University, Chaire CRSNG-Industrielle Alliance pour les femmes en sciences et
génie, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Local 1061B,
Québec G1V 0A6
4
University of British Columbia, NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
(BC and Yukon Region), 2054 - 6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
*vdavidso@uoguelph.ca
Abstract: This paper presents an overview of selected results of a national survey on
the career intentions of upper-year Canadian undergraduate students in computer
science and engineering programs. The survey was conducted in spring and summer,
2010, by the regional Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering and included
approximately 600 respondents. The paper offers gender and discipline-based analyses
of the survey results, with particular attention paid to students’ perceptions and
experiences of the workplace. In designing the study, it was hypothesized that a higher
proportion of female students might choose not to pursue employment in the field after
completing their undergraduate program because of negative educational experiences
and/or workplace expectations. While survey results reveal some gender differentiation
in terms of educational experiences, similarly high proportions of male and female
students intend to either pursue employment (~69%) or graduate programs in their field
of study (~20%). However, a significant proportion of female students (63.3%) expect
to face gender-based discrimination in the workplace, while only 5% of male
respondents indicated similar concerns. An analysis of survey responses paint a
concerning picture of experiences and expectations of hiring practices and workplace
climate, one which warrants attention.
INTRODUCTION
Women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of engineering and computer
science, both in post-secondary studies and in the workplace. In Canada, the most
recent census data indicated that women represented 25.9% of the professionals in
computer and information science and 12.2% of engineers (Statistics Canada, 2006).
This study focuses on the experiences and career plans of those students who have
chosen to pursue and complete post-secondary education in these fields. In designing
the study, it was hypothesized that a higher proportion of female students might choose
not to pursue employment in the field after completing their undergraduate program
because of negative educational experiences and/or workplace expectations. While
survey results reveal some gender and discipline differentiation in terms of educational
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
experiences, overall, respondents described their experiences in similarly positive rates.
Further, similarly high proportions of male and female students intend to either pursue
employment (~69%) or graduate programs in their field of study (~20%). At the same
time, however, a significant proportion of female students (63.3%) expect to face
gender-based discrimination in the workplace. While academic environments remain
far from perfect, responses regarding the workplace paint a more concerning picture of
expectations and experiences of gender discrimination in hiring practices and
workplaces. This suggests that hiring practices and workplace climate may be
significant barriers to attracting and retaining women who have completed postsecondary programs in computer science and engineering into employment in these
fields in Canada. As such, attention to making further changes in these areas is vital.
This paper provides an overview and analysis of selected survey results.
METHODS
The survey tool combines quantitative and qualitative measures, which assess
educational experience, perceptions of personal strengths, skills and confidence, career
motivations, and field and workplace expectations and experiences. The survey, which
included both closed and open-ended questions, took approximately 15-20 minutes to
complete and was made available in both an online and paper version. 604 students
completed the study. However, as respondents were able to skip questions while
remaining in the study, the number of responses analyzed for different questions varies
somewhat. Respondents that indicated themselves to be students of a science other than
computer science or engineering were excluded from this analysis, as were those that
did not provide sufficient information to allow for a gender and discipline-based
analyses. 586 respondents provided responses sufficient for the intended analysis.
Approximately two-thirds of respondents were from engineering programs, while
slightly more than a third came from computer science.
Tab. 1: Gender and Discipline
Female
Male
Total
Computer Science (CIS)
33.5% (68)
66.5% (135)
34.6% (203)
Engineering (ENG)
50.4% (193)
49.6% (190)
65.4% (383)
Total
44.5% (261)
55.5% (325)
100% (586)
Participants included students with a wide range of traditional and newer engineering
specializations. Solicitation of respondents involved a mix of approaches meant to
include as many upper-year Canadian undergraduate students in engineering and
computer science as possible.
Tab. 2: Location of Respondents
Ontario
British Columbia
Open University
Atlantic Provinces
Prairie Provinces
Respondents (n=590)
331
152
63
31
13
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
Particularly because of the small number of women in some areas and programs, a
random sample was neither feasible nor appropriate. As is evident in Table 1, the
method used allowed the incorporation of 44.5% female respondents, which is
significantly greater than the proportion of female students in either computer science
(13.6% 2007-2008) or engineering (17.4% in 2009) programs, overall (CAUT,
2011/Engineers Canada, 2009). Students across Canada were informed of the study via
emails to departments and student groups, and in-class announcements.
All
participation was voluntary. Respondents were entered in a draw for the chance to win
1 of 3 prizes of $100. Data analysis involved comparative gender and discipline-based
analyses using qualitative and quantitative approaches.
RESULTS
Educational Experiences
Respondents from both disciplines and genders indicated generally high levels of
satisfaction with their educational experiences. When asked how they would rate their
experience in their current academic program, the most common response was positive,
with over 50% in each group indicating this response. Additionally, greater than 20%
of respondents described their experience as very positive, with a slightly higher
proportion of female respondents selecting both positive and very positive. A relatively
small number of respondents, 6.1% of male and 4.3% of female respondents, indicated
their educational experience to be negative or very negative. In comparison, when
asked as part of the National Survey of Student Engagement (2009-10): “How would
you evaluate your entire educational experience at this institution?”, on a four point
scale, 44% and 29% of the 338 engineering student respondents answered good and
excellent, respectively.
Tab. 3: Overall, how would you rate your experience in your current program?
Very Negative
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Very Positive
All Male
(n=314)
1.6% (5)
4.5% (14)
19.4% (61)
51.3% (161)
23.2% (73)
All Female
(n=256)
0.4% (1)
3.9% (10)
17.6% (45)
52% (133)
26.2% (67)
All CIS
(n=193)
2.6% (5)
2.1% (4)
21.2% (41)
53.9% (104)
20.2% (39)
All ENG
(n=381)
0.3% (1)
5.2% (20)
17.3% (66)
50.4% (192)
26.8% (102)
This similarity in educational experience is dominantly reinforced by responses to the
question of whether respondents would select the same field of study were they given
the choice to do so again. As shown in Table 4, a majority of all respondents indicated
an affirmative response.
Tab. 4: Given the choice to do it again, would you select the same field of study?
Yes
No
Unsure
Female CIS
57.8% (37)
14.1% (9)
28.1% (18)
Female ENG
70.5% (134)
10% (19)
19.5% (37)
Male CIS
71% (88)
12.1% (15)
16.9% (21)
Male ENG
69.7% (131)
10.6% (20)
19.7% (37)
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
While overall satisfaction levels were generally similar, some variation in more specific
areas of educational experience by gender and discipline were evident in the sample, as
is suggested in Table 4. There was no clear gendered pattern that was consistent across
responses on this subject, other than female respondents appearing more likely than
male respondents to select the most positive response on a Likert scale, while male
respondents were more likely to select the second most positive response. What did
become apparent, however, was a discipline difference. In the case of Table 4, above,
female CIS students were less likely than other respondents to state that they would
choose the same field of study again, were they given the chance. Others responses of
both male and female CIS students, when compared to those of male and female
engineering students, suggest that the climate in CIS programs is less positive for both
genders, when compared to engineering programs. This difference was evident on
questions regarding the social environment, and friendliness and respect from other
students. In addition to illustrating a disciplinary difference, Table 5 underlines the
similar level of satisfaction with educational experience across gender.
Tab. 5: Gendered Similarity and Disciplinary Difference in Educational Experience (%)
I find the social environment to be a positive one.
I feel like I fit in.
Extracurricular activities are important to me.
Support from friends and family is important to my
academic success.
I find it difficult to balance school and other activities.
Students in my department respect my ideas.
Students in my department are friendly.
My department treats people equally regardless of
gender, race and socioeconomic status.
Strongly Agree or Agree
Female Female Male Male
CIS
ENG
CIS ENG
63.5*
80.4* 57.8 72.4
50*
74.9* 50.4 72.2
44.8
70.5
39.4 64.4
67.3
78.7
61.1
63.3
51.8
47.3
55.1
37.3
71.6
81.9
42.2
60.5
67.9
44.2
68.5
77.3
84.5
78.7
67.9
81.2
*Female engineers were more likely to Strongly Agree with the statement than female CIS respondents.
This section has highlighted both areas of difference and similarity in educational
experiences of undergraduates in engineering and computer science across Canada. In
contrast to the expectation of significantly gender differentiated experiences, overall, the
data suggests similar experiences across genders and a high level of satisfaction across
respondent groups. The most significant differences seen appear when comparing
students in engineering to those in computer science, regardless of gender.
Educational and Employment Plans
Not surprisingly, considering the generally positive educational experience described by
both male and female respondents in both disciplines, a significant majority indicated
the intention to seek employment in their field of study or to pursue graduate studies in
their field. Across fields and disciplines, respondents’ plans are quite similar, with
88.1% of male respondents and 90.1% of female respondents intending to seek
employment or pursue further studies within their field. The intentions of the surveyed
Canadian undergraduate students differ significantly from the actions of equivalent
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
students in the United Kingdom. Kirkup, Zaleyski, Maruyama and Batool (2010) noted
that, “[i]n 2006/07, twice the proportion of men graduating with undergraduate
qualifications in STEM entered SET professional or associate professional occupations
(41.8 per cent) compared with women (21.0 per cent)” (12).
Tab. 6: Summary of Plans for First Year After Graduation
All Male (n=269)
#
%
237
88.1
20
7.4
12
4.5
Employment or studies in field
Employment or studies outside field
Unknown/Other
All Female (n=233)
#
%
210
90.1
15
6.4
8
3.4
When Canadian respondent’s plans are broken down into more detail, it is evident that
female engineering students are more likely to choose to pursue graduate studies in their
field than their male counterparts, who were slightly more likely to pursue employment
in their field. However, both male and female respondents frequently noted that they
felt they needed more education to succeed in their field.
Tab. 7: Plans for First Year After Graduation
All
(n=502)
Pursue additional
undergraduate
education
Pursue graduate
studies in your field
Pursue graduate
studies in another field
Seek or continue
employment in your
field
Seek employment
outside your field
Other
#
%
Female
CIS
(n=56)
#
%
2.3
2
2
1
1.8
41
23.2
19
18.8
9
16.1
6
3.4
4
4
2
3.6
119 70.8 119 67.2
69
68.3
41
73.2
0.6
3
3
1
1.8
3.4
4
4
2
3.6
Female
ENG
(n=177)
#
%
#
%
Male
ENG
(n=168)
#
%
10
2
3
1.8
4
99
19.7
30
17.9
18
3.6
6
3.6
348
69.3
7
1.4
2
1.2
1
20
4
8
4.8
6
Male CIS
(n=101)
When the plans of the small group that stated an intention to leave their field of study
are examined in more detail, the data show that only a small minority expressed
dissatisfaction with their program or field as a reason for changing fields. Additionally,
of those who indicated that they intend to pursue employment or studies in another
field, 77.8% of females, compared to 22.2% of male respondents, who specified their
plans further, plan to stay in a science field. This includes a number of respondents who
pursued biological or biochemical engineering programs as preparation for medical
school. Male respondents intending to leave their field indicated plans to pursue
business, law, aviation and a master of divinity.
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
In spite of the discipline differences in educational experiences, a corresponding
difference is not borne out in respondents’ plans for after graduation. Contrary to the
initial hypothesis, male and female respondents are choosing to stay in their field at high
and near equal numbers, suggesting that whatever differences in educational
experiences exist are not leading to different career intentions. While not taking into
account those who have chosen to leave these programs, the results still offer a positive
picture of the educational environment, suggesting less women may be lost from the
field at this stage than previously expected.
Expectations and Experiences of Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
In contrast to generally positive educational experiences of female students in
engineering and computer science programs, responses to questions of experiences and
expectations of the workplace in these fields, particularly around the issues of
challenges due to gender, raise significant concerns about the workplace climate and
hiring practices. As indicated in Table 8, a fairly high proportion of respondents have
worked in their field in the past, many through cooperative education programs.
Tab. 8: Have you worked in your field in the past? (%)
Yes
Female
CIS
77.6
Female
ENG
65.7
Male
CIS
70.3
Male
ENG
80.6
When asked how their workplace experience impacted their interest in pursuing
employment in their field, a majority said that it made them more interested. However,
a larger proportion of female computer science students indicated that they were less
interested based on their experience. Almost double the number of female computer
science students indicated that there were less interested in pursuing employment in
their field based on their experience in the workplace than any other group.
Tab. 9: Did your experience in the workplace make you more or less interested in
pursuing employment in your field of study? (%)
More interested
Less interested
Unsure
Female CIS
(n=52)
50.0
23.1
26.9
Female ENG
(n=128)
62.5
10.2
27.3
Male CIS
(n=81)
59.3
12.3
28.4
Male ENG
(n=151)
66.9
9.3
23.8
Tab. 10: Female Expectations of Challenges in the Workplace Due to Gender (n=196)
Yes
No
Unsure
#
124
70
2
%
63.3
35.7
1.0
When asked: Do you expect to face challenges in the workplace based on your gender,
a majority of female respondents indicated the affirmative. Many of the issues noted in
Roberts and Ayre’s (2002) review of implicit and explicit discrimination in engineering
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
workplaces in Australia aligned with respondents’ expectations of gendered challenges
in the workplace.
Although female engineering students appeared more satisfied with various aspects of
their programs than female computer science students, they were more likely indicate
that they expect to face gender discrimination in the workplace. 66% of female
engineering students, compared to 55.1% of female computer science students,
indicated this expectation. 84 female engineering students specified the reasons that
they expect to face gendered challenges in the workplace. Their reasons are described
below in Table 11. The most common reasons relate to male dominance in the field and
women being underestimated and needing to work harder to earn respect. Several times
the notion of the ‘Old Boys Club’ was raised.
Tab. 11: Explanation of Expectations of Gender Based Challenges in the Workplace –
Female Engineering Students
Yes (n=84)
It's a male dominated field/women are the minority
Women have to work harder to earn respect, are not taken seriously, are
underestimated
Have experienced such challenges in work or school in the past.
If outside of the office (on site) or certain fields (construction/mining)
Concerned that I will be paid less, get less favourable jobs and advance less
Because of having children
I can handle it.
Yes, but it's improving, it’s more with the older generation and varies with
the company and specific people.
#
%
32 38.1
30 35.7
10 11.9
10 11.9
7 8.3
6 7.1
5
6
3
3.6
In explaining the reasoning behind their affirmative response, there were repeated
comments such as, “Since it is still a male dominant field I'm sure I will encounter cases
where my ideas may not be 'correct' on the basis that I am a female” and “I do believe
there will be challenges because I am female in a male dominated industry. I am
worried that people will assume I am not as smart so I feel like I will need to work
harder than others to earn respect”. Several respondents indicated, however, that they
felt they were strong enough to deal with it. While some respondents indicated they felt
being female to give them an advantage, stories like the one provided by another
student, raise the issue of whether female engineering graduates are discriminated
against in the hiring process:
We have all heard that overall women makes proportionally less than men in
engineering and in business. Closer to home, when applying for internships
last year, my good friend was actually told by someone in our career centre
that although she was one of the strongest candidates, probably didn't
receive an offer from a specific company because she was female. This
was based on years of looking at the rankings the company provided of the
candidates, and how they rarely ever (relative to the number of females in
the program) made offers to women.
A few respondents even indicated that they have changed their career plans based on
this expectation. For example, one female engineering student said, I “[p]refer [an]
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
office setting since there is lower chance of sexual harassment.” Both among those who
indicated and did not indicate an expectation of facing gender-based challenges in the
workplace, several respondents noted that they believe things are improving,
particularly with the increased number of women in the field, supporting the critical
mass theory (Danon-Schaffer, Dykeman, Bogan, Bennett, & Croft, 2006; Mattis, 2007).
Female CIS students expressed similar concerns to female engineering students.
However, a higher proportion had experienced or heard of such issues in the past and,
also, a greater number expressly identified that women were assumed to be technically
weaker and job tasks were given accordingly.
Tab. 12: Explanation of Expectations of Gender Based Challenges in the Workplace –
Female Computer Science Students
Yes (n=24)
Male dominated field/Women in the minority
Experienced in past or heard other's experiences
Women are assumed to be technically weaker and given jobs accordingly
Women have to work harder to earn respect, are underestimated
I can handle it
Yes, but it depends on the specific people
Women are paid less
#
10
9
6
4
2
1
1
%
41.7
37.5
25
16.7
8.33
4.17
4.17
The comment by one female computer science student duplicates the concerns
expressed by several others:
I am afraid to work in an environment where there are few women for a
number of reasons. I do not feel as comfortable asking questions of male
colleagues for fear that I will be viewed as less competent than a man would
be. I am afraid of working in a less professional environment of younger
men where I may not be fully viewed as a team member because I do not
play certain video games or have many of the same interests. I am
concerned that I will have to work harder than a male colleague who has the
same skill level because any mistake or lack of progress in my work might
be seen as a weakness. I am afraid to work in an environment where they
do not adequately address gender concerns as legitimate, but rather that I
am a woman who does not know how to behave in a man's world.
In spite of this fear, others indicated, as among female engineering students, their belief
that they could cope with the challenge. For example, one respondent wrote, “There are
occasionally gender-based challenges in the workplace, but I stand up for myself if I
feel gender is a potential barrier. I also work in a team that creates a culture that doesn't
allow gender-based barriers to doing our work.”
Few male respondents, 6.7%, expect to face challenges in the workplace due to their
gender. Those that expressed concern cited issues of reverse discrimination linked to
gender equity programs and issues surrounding their sexuality as the causes for concern.
When asked if they had any concerns about pursuing employment in their field, male
and female respondents gave generally similar responses, including the economy, high
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J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
expectations in terms of hours of work and so forth. However, female respondents did
raise concerns about gender. Overall, this concern was less prevalent among responses
by female computer science students. However, it was still evident. For example, one
respondent stated, “It took years in my department to get to the point where my opinions
are somewhat respected by male peers. I am not looking forward to starting from
scratch somewhere else.” Others expressed concern about whether they would not be
hired because they were female and about how they would fit in to a male dominated
environment. One female computer science student, for example, stated, “men are
generally given preference over women for any specific computing science related job”.
The issue of a “male culture” has long been recognized as a potential challenge for
females employed in the sciences and engineering in the literature (eg: McIlwee and
Robinson, 1991).
Work-life balances issues have been identified in the literature as key challenges (eg:
Ashraf, 2007). Engineering students were more likely to raise the issue of having a
family, with one respondent stating, “I feel that if I have a family, I won't be considered
as a serious worker because of it.” Work-life balance and family issues were also raised
by a few male respondents who indicated concern about the potential to need to move
for a job and balancing spousal careers and proximity to family. Another respondent
expressed concern about whether they would receive the training and mentorship that is
desirable. Ghazzali and Myrand (2009) examine such issues of a lack of institutional
and/or organizational support in their review piece. Responses across disciplines
indicate a significant majority of female respondents expect to face, and many have
already faced, challenges in the workplace because of their gender. These results
suggest that hiring practices and the workplace climate remain barriers to attracting and
retaining women to jobs in the fields of computer science and engineering and, thus,
areas where change is necessary.
CONCLUSIONS
The survey data presented here suggest that, overall, the educational experiences of
female students are similarly positive when compared to male students’ experiences,
though some gender differences and challenges remain. The positive experience helps
to explain the high proportion of female students that intend to pursue further studies or
employment in their field. However, an examination of expectations of, and
experiences in, the workplace raise concerns about both hiring practices and workplace
climate, as a majority of female respondents in both fields expect to face gender-based
discrimination in the workplace. This suggests additional work needs to be done to
address these issues. To that end, additional research is underway which seeks to better
understand the intricacies and realities of these concerns. Incorporating the lessons
learned from this study, an additional round of surveying is scheduled for the spring of
2011. This round seeks to incorporate a larger sample of students from across Canada
and to delve further into issues surrounding gendered workplace concerns. Additionally,
comparing these results to recent workplace studies will provide further insight.
Page 9 of 10
J. Fender, V. Davidson, J. Vassileva, N. Ghazzali, E. Croft
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Financial support from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) for the National Network of Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering is
gratefully acknowledged.
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